ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Prime Minister's Office
PM reviews situation of Oil Well Blow Out and fire in Assam
Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi today reviewed the situation arising out of OIL India Limited Oil Well Blow Out and fire in the oil well No. Baghjan-5 in Tinsukia District, Assam.
The Review Meeting was attended, amongst others by Home Minister Shri Amit Shah, Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, Chief Minister, Assam Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, other Union Ministers and senior officers of Government of India.
Uncontrolled gas started leaking from this well on 27th May, 2020. Thereafter while preparation was going on to control the leak, the well caught fire on 9th June, 2020. The families living in the surrounding areas have been shifted and relief camps set up by the State Government in collaboration with OIL India Ltd. Approximately, 9,000 persons are living in these relief camps. As an immediate relief measure, Rs. 30,000 each has been sanctioned for 1610 families identified by District Administration.
Prime Minister assured the people of Assam through Chief Minister Assam that Government of India is fully committed to providing support and relief & rehabilitation to the affected families and is standing with the State Government in this difficult time due to the unfortunate incident that has taken place. He also directed the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry that this incident should be studied and documented so that learnings become useful in future. Further capacities and expertise should be developed within our own organizations to avoid such mishaps in future and deal with such calamities in case they occur.
During the Review Meeting it was informed that the Detailed Plan has been drawn with the help of Indian and foreign experts to control the flow of gas from the well and to cap it. The Plan is being executed as per the prepared schedule and it is proposed to cap the well on 7th July, 2020 after taking all necessary safety precautions.
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Ministry of Commerce & Industry
7.1% CAGR recorded in trade with India’s FTA and PTA partner countries
An internal assessment of India’s bilateral Free Trade Agreements  or Preferential Trade Agreements  with Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, Bhutan, Nepal, Republic of Korea and Malaysia reveals that the cumulative average growth rate  in trade with these partners over the last 5 financial years was 7.1%. While there has been growth rate in both imports from and exports to these FTA partners, the utilization rate of FTAs both for India and its partners has been moderate. The economic impact assessment of FTAs is a continuous process which is undertaken both in terms of data analysis and stakeholder consultations. An analysis of preferential import data for some of these agreements indicates that the FTA utilization rates have been moderate to high in the case of some sectors like iron and steel for the India Korea Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement  and India Japan CEPA. Plastics in the case of India Singapore Comprehensive Economic Cooperation Agreement  and auto-motives in the case of India Malaysia CECA.
The review of the trade agreements is undertaken on the basis of mutual consent of the trading partners and demand from domestic stakeholders. Two reviews of the India Singapore CECA have been completed. The India-Bhutan Agreement on Trade Commerce and Transit was renewed in 2016 while the India-Nepal Treaty of Trade was extended in 2016. Eight rounds of negotiations have been completed for the review of the India Korea CEPA which commenced in 2016. Moreover, India has taken up the review of India Japan CEPA and India ASEAN FTA with its trading partners.
This information was given by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha today.
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs 
Cabinet approves Minimum Support Price  for Raw Jute for 2023 -24 season
The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs, chaired by the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has given its approval for the Minimum Support Price  for Raw Jute for 2023-24 season. The approval is based on recommendations of the Commission for Agricultural Costs and Prices .
The MSP of Raw Jute  has been fixed at Rs.5050/- per quintal for 2023-24 season. This would ensure a return of 63.20 percent over the all India weighted average cost of production. The announced MSP of raw jute for 2023-24 season is in line with the principle of fixing the MSP at a level of at least 1.5 times all India weighted average cost of production as announced by the Government in the Budget 2018-19.
It assures a minimum of 50 percent as margin of profit. It is one of the important and progressive steps towards ensuring better remunerative returns to the jute growers and to incentivize quality jute fibre.
The Jute Corporation of India  will continue as Central Government Nodal Agency to undertake Price Support Operations and the losses incurred, if any, in such operations, will be fully reimbursed by the Central Government.
Ministry of Finance
Auction for Sale  of  ‘6.10% GS 2031’,  ‘GoI Floating Rate Bond 2034’, and  ‘6.95%GS 2061’
The Government of India  has announced the Sale  of
 ‘6.10% Government Security, 2031’ for a notified amount of Rs 13,000 crore  through price based auction using uniform price method;  ‘‘GoI Floating Rate Bonds, 2034’ for a notified amount of Rs 4,000 crore  through price based auction using uniform price method; and  ‘6.95% Government Security 2061’ for a notified amount of Rs 7,000 crore  through price based auction using multiple price method. GoI will have the option to retain additional subscription up to Rs 2,000 crore each against one or more security/ies. The auctions will be conducted by the Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai Office, Fort, Mumbai on Friday i.e. December 17, 2021.
Up to 5% of the notified amount of the sale of the Securities will be allotted to eligible individuals and institutions as per the Scheme for Non-Competitive Bidding Facility in the Auction of Government Securities.
Both competitive and non-competitive bids for the auction should be submitted in electronic format on the Reserve Bank of India Core Banking Solution  system on December 17, 2021. The non-competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and 11.00 a.m.and the competitive bids should be submitted between 10.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m.
The result of the auctions will be announced on December 17, 2021  and payment by successful bidders will be on December 20, 2021 .
The Securities will be eligible for “When Issued” trading in accordance with the guidelines on ‘When Issued transactions in Central Government Securities’ issued by the Reserve Bank of India vide circular No. RBI/2018-19/25 dated July 24, 2018 as amended from time to time.
Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions
Union Minister Dr Jitendra Singh inaugurates ‘Jammu Haat’, hub of export promotion at Jammu
Says, more than 50 thousand crore investment is expected in J&K for its overall development
Union Minister of State  Science & Technology; Minister of State  Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh today inaugurated‘Jammu Haat’, a hub of export promotion at Exhibition Ground, Jammu. The ‘Jammu Haat’ has been inaugurated todayon the occasion of ‘VanijyaSaptah’, a platform for entrepreneurs, buyers, sellers and exporters.
Addressing the participants during the inauguration, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that when India is celebrating ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mohatsav’,75 years of Independence, the next 25 years are going to be crucialfor the nation's growth and progress. Reiterating Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that by 2047 when India wouldemerge as ‘Vishwa Guru’ on its 100 years of independence, it will be an absolute India consisting of east, west, north and southof which Jammu & Kashmir is also a part & thus people of Jammu mustremain steadfast and prepare themselves for that important historical moment.
Dr Jitendra Singh further said that soon after taking oath as Prime Minister on 26th May, 2014, one of mantra given by Prime Minister was the maxim “Minimum Government – Maximum Governance and it was unanimously decided that the left out states, UTsin terms of development, governance etc.by the previous Governments will be taken care of and every step will be taken to take them at par with other states and UTs in the country.
The best example of this maxim is ‘Mission Northeast' started by this Government of which ‘Northeast Development Model’ has become an example throughout the country and northeast has been converted into heartland from hinterland by this Government, the Minister added.
On the ongoing public outreach program in the UT of J&K, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that after PM Shri Narendra Modi took oath for the second term, ‘Mission J&K’ was strongly emphasized, of which one of the important steps taken has been the extensive public outreach program involving Union Ministerswhich is going on these days.
Listing the achievements brought about from the last 2 years in J&K, Dr. Jitendra Singh said that all the central laws are now applicable to the UT of J&K be that the Anti corruption law or other laws that was done to bring J&K into India’s mainstream. The erstwhile state’s grievance portal that was never functional has now been connected to CGRAMS so that the people’s grievances are redressed in time, the Minister added. The Minister also said that more than 50 thousand crore investment is expected in J&K now which will change the dynamics of development in the UT in the coming years.
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Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Credit Guarantee Fund for Start-UPS
The Government is planning to set up a Credit Guarantee Fund  for encouraging start-up companies with a view to providing funding facilities in the country. The scheme has yet to be made operational.
Incentives being provided to Startups under Startup India initiative are:
- Self-Certification under 6 Labour Laws & 3 Environmental Laws
- Relaxations in Public Procurement Norms
- Faster exit under the Bankruptcy Code
- Rebates on Patent & Trademark filing fees, support from facilitators and expedited examination of Patent application
- Income Tax exemption
- Exemption from Income Tax on investments received above fair market value
- Funding support under the Fund of Funds for Startups
- Guidance and facilitation support from Startup India Hub
Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion hosted Startup India Global Venture Capital Summit 2018 on 7th December 2018 in Goa.
It was a gathering of global fund managers, limited partners, officials from the Government of India and innovative startups. The dialogue focused on the huge return-generating potential of India’s vast and diverse market monetized through cutting-edge technologies supported by investor-friendly regulations. The objectives of the Summit were:
- Showcasing the opportunities in India by discussing and highlighting sectors that provide a wide array of investible opportunities
- Increasing capital flow for Indian startups by showcasing high quality tech & non tech Indian startups to the global investor community
- Fostering ease of doing business by Identifying and discussing issues raised by investor community
The event was attended by 30 Startups of which 27 were Indian Startups and 3 Startups were from the United States of America. The number of Indian and foreign Venture Capital funds that attended the summit is given below:
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|
S. No.
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Country
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Unique Funds
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|
1
|
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India
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45
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2
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|
Japan
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12
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3
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|
USA
|
|
3
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|
4
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|
China
|
|
2
|
|
5
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|
Hong Kong
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2
|
|
6
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|
Korea
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|
1
|
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7
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|
Russia
|
|
1
|
|
8
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|
Singapore
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|
1
|
|
9
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Sri Lanka
|
|
1
8,993 startups were recognised by Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion during the year 2018.
This information was given by the Minister of State of Commerce and Industry, C. R. Chaudhary, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
PM GatiShakti mission to reduce logistics cost for coal evacuation
NITI Aayog reviews Coal India Limited’s bid to produce 1 billion tonnes of coal by 2025-26
Integrated infrastructure and coordinated efforts in line with PM GatiShakti to augment coal production
14 railway infrastructure projects under implementation to enhance coal dispatch in Chhattisgarh and Odisha
A meeting was organized under the chairmanship of CEO, NITI Aayog to review and discuss the mission of Coal India Limited to produce 1 billion tonnes of coal by 2025-26. Coal remains the primary domestic fuel for India as well as the single largest commodity transported across the country; thus the mining, supply and consumption of coal is central to the growth of Indian economy.
With the thrust of Ministry of Commerce and Industry on the development of evacuation infrastructure and the work being undertaken by Ministry of Railways, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways in that direction, the production capacity of coal is ahead of its domestic demand. In lines with PM GatiShakti, the development of integrated infrastructure with coordinated efforts by all infrastructure ministries lies at the heart of further augmentation of coal production and evacuation capacity through multi-modal connectivity.
As discussed in the meeting, rail remains the dominant evacuation mode for coal with an aim to expand its modal share from 64% to 75% by FY 2030. To cater to the increased coal dispatch in Chhattisgarh and Odisha, 14 railway infrastructure projects are under implementation in lines with GatiShakti principles. The railway line capacity is adequately addressed for coal transportation up to FY 2026. In order to promote coal production by private companies, railways have also taken steps such as reduction in conversion fee from private siding to private freight terminal from Rs 1 Cr to Rs 10 Lac.
Ministry of Railways has also developed Freight Operations Information System  to monitor movement of freight trains which also calculates freight and other charges. The Centre for Railway Information Systems  also offers Freight Business Data Integration  for FOIS that can be used by the customers for integration with their internal MIS networks.
A similar facility called Port Community System  has been developed by and Ministry of Ports Shipping and Waterways to provide a platform for secure exchange of information between government agencies, terminal operators and the traders. The digitalization across infrastructure ministries shall contribute towards augmentation of coal evacuation capacity of the country.
Further, with the advent of PM GatiShakti NMP, the status and type of roads  depicting the first and last mile connectivity of coal mines shall also be accessible to the Ministry of Coal and Ministry of Road, Transport and Highways to take necessary steps of integration and capacity enhancement. The Plan will holistically look at the interventions required to be taken for reduction of logistics cost for coal evacuation and thus lead to efficiency gains in coal sector.
Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers
Record 24016 MT Fertiliser Production during July 2020 in FACT
The Fertilizers and Chemicals Travancore Limited  a PSU under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers is on a Turnaround path, breaking records in Production and Sales during the year.
As per a Statement of FACT ,Company Achieved highest Monthly ‘Ammonium Sulphate’ production during July 2020 , surpassing previous best of 23811 MT in January 2020.
FACT has been manufacturing two fertilizer products NP 20:20:0:13  and Ammonium Sulphate, mainly for the South Indian market.
Company could optimize its fertilizer production by implementing suitable adaptations in its operation schedule, raw material planning, logistics & product despatch, for safe operation during COVID times.
Ministry of Finance
More than 6.63 crore Income Tax Returns  and 99.27 lakh statutory forms filed on the new e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department
More than 6.63 crore Income Tax Returns  were filed for AY 2021-22 on the new e-filing portal of the Income Tax Department as on 15th March, 2022, which was the due date for filing of ITRs by Companies and other taxpayers who were required to file Tax Audit Report. As on 15th March, 2022 more than 5.43 lakh ITRs were filed  and over 13.84 lakh ITRs were filed in the last 5 days .
Out of the 6.63 crore ITRs filed for AY 2021-22, 46% are ITR-1 , 9% are ITR-2 , 15% are ITR-3 , 26% are ITR-4 , 2% are ITR-5 , ITR-6  and ITR-7 . This reflects an increase of over 16.7 lakh ITRs over total filing of ITRs for AY 2020-21 till 15.03.2021.
Over 43% of these ITRs have been filed using the online ITR form on the portal and the balance have been uploaded using the ITR created from the offline ITR preparation software utilities, including Departmental software.
Further, out of the 6.63 crore ITRs filed for AY 2021-22, more than 6.01 crore ITRs have been verified . Out of the verified ITRs, more than 5.17 crore ITRs have been processed and 1.83 crore refunds for AY 2021-22 have been issued till 15.03.2022.
More than 99.27 lakh statutory forms were filed in FY 2021-22 till 15th March, 2022 on the new portal including 26.19 lakh Form 3CB-CD, 2.76 lakh Form 3CA-3CD, 20.9 lakh Form 15CA, 5.4 lakh Form 15CB, 2.27 lakh 10A, 5.86 lakh 10E, 77,634 Form 35 and 23.79 lakh TDS statements. The extended due date for filing of form 3CFA, 3CEAA, 3CLA, 9A, 10, 10IB/IC/ID, 10CCF, 56FF was 15th March, 2022 for which total filings till 15th March, 2022 is nearly 1.64 lakh.
To assist taxpayers with a smooth experience on the portal, over 8,500 taxpayer calls and 260 chats were responded to by the helpdesk only on 15th March, 2022 itself. Two email ids were created to resolve grievances of taxpayers in an expeditious manner related to uploading of ITRs  and Tax Audit Report  . In this regard, 16,252 emails were received, of which 16,233 were resolved by 15th March, 2022. In addition to the above, the Department has been proactively engaging with and reaching out to taxpayers and professionals for assistance through its official Twitter handle on a continuous basis and through direct webex calls/webinars for better handholding.
The Department expresses gratitude to all tax professionals and taxpayers for the support in timely compliances. Taxpayers and tax professionals are also requested to note that the last date of filing belated return, revised return, linking of Aadhaar and PAN and compliance to the e-proceedings for assessment etc. is 31.03.2022.
Ministry of Finance
Kushinagar Airport declared as Customs Notified Airport
The Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs  notification no. 72/2021- Customs  dated 13.09.2021, has declared Kushinagar Airport as a Customs notified airport. This would also facilitate international passenger movements including that of Buddhist pilgrims.
Ministry of New and Renewable Energy
Government is committed to provide Energy and Food Security: Union MoS Shri Bhagwanth Khuba
“India is marching ahead in the Renewable Energy Sector”
The Union Minister of State for Chemicals & Fertilizers, and New and Renewable Energy, Shri Bhagwanth Khuba, graced and addressed the first anniversary of the National Portal for Rooftop Solar and the Foundation Day of the All India Renewable Energy Associations . The event was celebrated as the Renewable Energy Festival of India, highlighting the nation's commitment to achieving energy security and sustainability. Goa Chief Minister Dr Pramod Sawant and Minister of Power Shri Sudin Dhavalikar were also present on this occasion.
Addressing the gathering, Minister Bhagwanth Khuba emphasized government's unwavering dedication to providing energy and food security to all citizens. He noted that India's visionary target of achieving 175 GW of renewable energy  by 2022, as declared at the COP 2015 conference, was accomplished even before the set deadline and that this remarkable achievement was recognized by the global community. Building on this success, at the COP 26 conference, the Prime Minister unveiled India's ambitious new target of reaching 500 GW of renewable energy by 2030, with the ultimate aim of achieving net zero emissions by 2070, Minister Bhagwanth Khuba said. He added that India stands proudly as the only country to have realized the goal set at COP-15, but there is still much work ahead to attain the net zero target.
The Minister also highlighted the recent successful visits of the Prime Minister Narendra Modi to America and France, showcasing India's unwavering commitment to realizing its ambitious goals and dreams across all sectors.
He explained that one of the significant steps taken by the Government of India is the launch of Production Linked Incentive  schemes for renewable energy, aimed at promoting self-sufficiency and indigenous production in the energy sector. Under this scheme, a PLI of Rs. 1500 crore has been initiated, enabling the installation of 65 GW capacity through an investment of Rs. 19500 crore. By 2030, India aims to achieve a total of 500 GW, with 280 GW of it coming from solar energy.
In line with India's dedication to harnessing clean energy sources, the government is also implementing a PLI scheme of Rs. 17500 crore for the National Hydrogen Mission. Regulations are currently being formulated to support the hydrogen scheme, further propelling India's rapid advancement in the energy sector.
Chief Minister of Goa Dr Pramod Sawant highlighted initiatives by State government in the field of green and clean energy. Goa will contribute positively in achieving Net Zero target, said Chief Minister.
National Portal for Rooftop Solar was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 30/07/2022.
Ministry of Agriculture &
Farmers Welfare
Opening of new market access for agricultural commodities between India and Bhutan
, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India, the Bhutan Agriculture and Food Regulatory Authority , Ministry of Agriculture and Forests, Royal Government of Bhutan and Embassy of India in Bhutan has resulted in notification, opening market access for Apple, Potato, Mandarin, Ginger and Arecanut from Bhutan to India and Tomato, Onion and Okra from India to Bhutan.
Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment
A‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ for Divyangjans and Senior Citizens to be orgnised in Bharatpur, Rajasthan tomorrow
A total of 8454 Aids and Assistive devices worth Rs 304.00 Lakhs will be distributed free of cost under Central Government Schemes to 1155 Divyangjans and 586 Senior Citizens
A ‘Samajik Adhikarita Shivir’ for distribution of aids and assistive devices to‘Divyangjan’ underthe ADIP Scheme and to Senior citizens under ‘Rashtriya Vayoshri Yojana’  of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India will be organized by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities  in association with ALIMCO and District Administration Bharatpur on 27.05.2022at11:00 AM in Auditorium Krishna Nagar,Bharatpur .
Ku.Pratima Bahumik, Union Minister of State, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment will be the Chief Guest of the function. Smt.Ranjeeta Koli, MP, Lok Sabha, Bharatpur, Shri Vishwendra Singh, Minister of Tourism and Aviation, Government of Rajasthan, Shri Bhajan Lal Yadav, Public Works Department Minister, Government of Rajasthan, Dr. Subhash Garg, Minister of State for Higher Education and Technology, Rajasthan Government and Smt. Zahida Khan, Minister of State, Government of Rajasthan are also expected to be present in the distribution camp function organized at Auditorium Krishna Nagar, Bharatpur  alongwith the local Public representatives and Dignitaries.
A total of 8454 Aids and Assistive devices worth Rs 304.00 Lakhs will be distributed free of cost under Central Government Schemes to 1155 Divyangjans and 586 Senior Citizens at Block/Panchayat levels by following the SOP prepared by the Department in view of COVID-19 Pandemic. These beneficiaries were pre-identified during the assessment camps conducted previous year by ALIMCO supported by District Administration, Bharatpur, Rajasthan.